CHAPTER IV. 



HISTORY OF EXPLORATIONS AMONG THE WHITE MOUNTAINS. 



COMPILED BY WARREN UPHA1I. 



First Visits to Mt. Washington. 



>HE early history of the White Mountains may well be of interest to 

 all who feel a pride in the beautiful scenery or in the material pros- 

 perity of this portion of our state. It is only a meagre record, however, 

 that we are able to present. Even the name of the first adventurer who 

 ascended these mountains was for some time uncertain. It was stated by 

 Dr. Belknap, in the early editions of his history of New Hampshire, that 

 Walter and Robert Neal were the first to climb the highest summit of the 

 White Mountains, in 163 1. This appears to be incorrect; and the error 

 was noticed by the author in the edition of 18 12. It is now considered 

 settled that this credit is to be assigned to Darby Field, of Pascataquack 

 (Portsmouth), who made the ascent, accompanied by two Indians, in June, 

 1642. An account of this has been preserved by Winthrop, from which 

 it appears that "within 12 miles of the top was neither tree nor grass, 

 but low savins, which they went upon the top of sometimes, but a con- 

 tinual ascent upon rocks, on a ridge between two valleys filled with snow, 

 out of which came two branches of Saco river, which met at the foot of 

 the hill, where was an Indian town of some 200 people. * * * By the 

 way, among the rocks, there were two ponds, one a blackish water, the 

 other a reddish. The top of all was plain, about 60 feet square. On 



